UK October 2018: Land Rover hits ranking record at #7, Mercedes A-Class and VW Tiguan at highest ever

Land Rover soars 32% year-on-year to hit a record 7th place at home.

* See the Top 43 brands and Top 10 models by clicking on the title *

The UK market has recovered pretty swiftly from post-WLTP blues with October deliveries down just 2.9% year-on-year to 153.599 units, the lowest result for the month in 6 years, since October 2012 (151.252). As a result the year-to-date volume is now down 7.2% to 2.064.419 registrations, the lowest at this stage of the year since 2013 (1.952.238). This month, private sales are relatively solid at +1% to 69.231 and 45.1% share vs. 44.2% in October 2017, whereas fleet sales sink 5.2% to 79.611 and 51.8% share vs. 53.1% and business ales gain 10% to 4.757 and 3.1% vs. 2.7%. Year-to-date, all channels evolve almost identically: fleet deliveries drop 7.8% to 1.054.532 and 51.1% vs. 51.4%, private registrations fall 6.5% to 928.337 and 45% vs. 44.6% and business sales dive 7.1% to 81.550 and 4% vs. 3.9%. In terms of alimentation, diesel sales continue to freefall at -21.3% to 49.061 for the the month, that’s 31.9% share vs. 39.4% a year ago, while petrol sales gain 7.1% to 93.941 and 61.2% vs. 55.5% and Alternatively Fuelled Vehicles (AFV) soar 30.7% to 10.597 or 6.9% share vs. 5.1%. Year-to-date, diesel suffers even more at -30.7% to 656.273 and 31.8% share vs. 42.6%, petrol is up 9.2% to 1.286.540 and 62.3% share vs. 53% and AFV surge 21.8% to 121.606 or 5.9% vs. 4.5%.

The Mercedes A-Class repeats at a record third place.

October UK sales 2002-2017. Source SMMT

In the brands ranking, Ford (-14%) hasn’t managed to slow down its fall but hits 11% share, in line with its YTD level of 10.8%. After imploding 55% in September, Volkswagen (-1%) is already recovered at 8.9% share vs. 8.3% so far this year whereas Audi (-53%) is still in hell. Mercedes (-3%) matches the market to round up the podium ahead of BMW (+2%), the only Top 5 carmaker in positive this month, and Vauxhall (-3%) down to a particularly weak 6.1% share. Land Rover surges 32% year-on-year and smashes its ranking record at home to reach #7, with its previous best being #9 hit in November 2015, March 2017 and November 2017. Toyota (+17%) is the only other carmaker in the Top 12 posting a double-digit gain. Further down, there are numerous great performers including MG (+304%), Mitsubishi (+100%), Jaguar (+82%), Mini (+63%), Aston Martin (+43%), Mazda (+43%), Volvo (+37%), Subaru (+36%), Jeep (+34%) and Renault (+27%).

The VW Tiguan breaks into the UK Top 5 for the first time this month, at #4.

Model-wise, the Ford Fiesta (-23%) hits the wall but stays #1, the VW Golf (-32%) is back in the 2nd place it holds year-to-date after spending a month outside the Top 10 (a very unusual occurrence). In third place, the Mercedes A-Class (-2%) repeats at its all-time record ranking thanks to stable sales but stays at #9 YTD. The VW Tiguan soars from outside the September Top 10 directly into 4th place, its first ever Top 5 finish in the UK and a brilliant feat given its only ever stints inside the monthly UK Top 10 were at #9 last June and July. The Mini (+47%) also posts an excellent score in 6th place overall and is now just 22 units below the VW Polo in the battle for the YTD 6th place. The BMW 3 Series leaps up to #9, the nameplate’s third Top 10 finish in the past 5 months. Finally, with the Corsa (+50%) kicked out of the Top 10, there are no Vauxhalls in the Top 10 for the 4th time in the past 13 months after October 2017, November 2017 and August 2018. We have no record of no Vauxhall appearing in the monthly Top 10 prior to 2017. At least one Vauxhall has featured in the annual UK Top 10 without interruption since records began in 1965, and the lowest-ranking best-selling Vauxhall the Cavalier, #9 in 1979.

Previous month: UK September 2018: Mercedes breaks share record, A-Class on podium, market down 20.5%

One year ago: UK October 2017: First ever Top 10 for the BMW 4 Series

Full October 2018 Top 43 brands and Top 10 models below.